How to Bite Noses without Getting Snot on Your Teeth

Last night Netanel crawled into my bed to say goodnight as I was finishing up the 4th Harry Potter book after only 4 days.
He was noticeably impressed, "Mommy, you are a really speedy reader!"
"Well, you have to be a speedy reader, cuz there's so so much to read!" I quoted from "I Can Read with my Eyes Shut" by Dr. Suess.
"But how am I going to ever be a speedy reader?" The light waning ever so slightly from his impish grin.
"Actually, the only way to become a speedy reader is to start out being a veeeerry slooooow reeeaaader.That's how I got to read so fast. When I was your age, I felt the same way."
And then we started quoting the Dr. Seuss book again. "And when I keep them open/ I can read with much more speed./ You have to be a speedy reader/ 'cause there's so so much to read."
And we were giggling, and then he said, "Like how to bite noses without getting snot on your teeth!"

And then we were more than giggling, we were laughing our veritable tushies off!
"Where did you hear of that one?" Yoram asked, recovering his breath.
"No, Abba, I'm going to write it." Netanel answered evenly, with full confidence.

Yes you will, my sweet one. One day soon, you will.

Channeling Harry Chapin

You all remember this song, right?



today I watched Netanel take a blank piece of paper and turn it into something that made me cry. First he took a blue crayon and started making a 1 inch wide slab of sky at the top of the page and I knew that the orange triangle of sunshine in the corner would be next, followed by a mirrored green slab at the bottom and some lollipop flowers. I had to do something quck! "Oh! is that blue water?"
He didn't skip a beat, flipped the page over and said, "yes!"
Then there were waves and green seaweed floating and finally, inevitably, the orange glowing triangle in the corner. "What's that?" I asked
"The sun."
"Oh, what other colors are in sun?"
He reached for yellow, and red, and we even put some dark blue around the edge and then some more red and orange...
What happened to my Tani and his free expression?! Why have we not learned how to educate our children without extinguishing their creative spirit? Why is it impossible to differentiate between the paintings and drawings of any child in a kindergarten class?

I want a different life for my children than the one I have. A life where anything is possible, where creativity is rewarded and linear analytical thinking is not the only way to solve a problem.

One morning I watched him do a matching activity with the teacher. He had a card with 6 fish tails on it and you had to find the fish that matched the tails. He took in all six images and began pulling matches out of the box, but the teacher made him put them back and go in order. I wanted to cry. He does not have to do them in order! He does not have to change the way he naturally solves that problem! I'm not saying that we shouldn't offer children other ways of finding solutions, but we have to encourage their own natural abilities and ways of thinking.

Because there are so many colors in the rainbow! But who sees them anymore? How can anyone fix the problems with education when we are all products of the education system we are seeking to change?

What have I done?!?!

Isn't she adorable?












Yes, that's our backyard.












But she's not ours..... at least not yet.

She's a 2 month old Mini Pinscher-labrador mix that belongs to a neighbor. They're giving all the puppies away, and we were unfortunate enough to pass by this afternoon. The kids fell in love - including Tzachi! Until one of the pups mistook him for a dog and fraternally bit his face! (not hard! but he was startled enough.)

Then I saw her, the smallest of the litter, wandering off by herself, and when she came to me I noticed that she has one blue eye and one brown. Eitan, their owner, saw the look in my eye.
"They don't need special food, they eat scraps from the table. See, this is their mother, this is how big they get."
The gears started turning, the heartstrings churned...
Yoram met us there after work.
"What do you think? Maybe we could take one for a week and see how it goes?"
Yoram, strong, practical Yoram, he melted.
"Take her," said Eitan. "If you don't bring her back in a week, she's yours."

So... anyone have any name suggestions?